Various types of consumer appliances are designed with pull-out compartment drawers. For example, a number of popular refrigerator styles have freezer compartments with one or more pull-out drawers that span the width of the appliance and include storage baskets or bins. The conventional pull-out drawers typically include side brackets that are mounted to slides of a slide mechanism that, in turn, has a base member mounted to the compartment liner.
Due to their substantial width, depth, and weight, the pull-out drawers are susceptible to misalignment between the sides when moving the drawer into and out of the appliance compartment, particularly if the door is grasped off-center and the pulling/closing force is applied non-parallel to the slide structure. This misalignment may lead to binding or “racking” of the drawer, which may make further movement of the drawer difficult and may also lead to an improper seal of the drawer in the closed position.
A known approach to minimize racking of the drawers is to synchronize the sliding movement of the opposite drawer slide assemblies with a pinion gear and connecting rod assembly. A pinion gear is provided at each side of the drawer that engages with a stationary gear rail as the drawer moves in and out of the freezer compartment. The pinion gears are connected with a connecting rod that spans the width of the drawer. The connecting rod synchronizes movement of the respective pinion gears along the gear rail, which is imparted to the drawer slide assemblies. Thus, any off-center pulling/pushing force on the drawer handle is compensated for through the connecting rod and pinion gears.
Although the pinion gear and connecting rod assembly discussed above is beneficial in minimizing the occurrence of racking, the pinion gears may be subjected to substantial forces and stresses during operation. For example, axial, transverse, and torsional forces are imparted on the pinion gears during operation, which may lead to pinion gear failure. Particularly when the drawer has any horizontal flexibility, torsional forces may place excessive stress on the pinion gears and cause premature failure.
Accordingly, a refrigerator appliance including an improved drawer assembly would be useful. More particularly, a drawer slide assembly having an anti-racking system with a pinion gear designed to withstand stresses commonly experienced during operation would be especially beneficial.